Developmental Psychology - Cognitive & Social

Question 1

What does Piaget think about learning?

Answer 1

Learning is a spontaneous child-oriented process

Question 2

What are schemas from a psychological viewpoint and how do they change in early- and later life?

Answer 2

Schema = Organised way to understand an experience
Early life: Based on action & motor patterns
Later life: Mentally-oriented (thinking)

Question 3

In the context of schemas, what is meant by “Organisation” and “Adaptation”?

Answer 3

Organisation = Internal rewiring of schemas. independent of interaction with the environment but solely dependent on development of the CNS
Adaptation = Building schemas and adapt them by direct interaction with the environment (assimilation & accommodation)

Question 4

What is “Assimilation”

Answer 4

Using an existent schema to interpret what was experienced and add new information.
Used when equilibrium

Question 5

What is “Adaptation”?

Answer 5

Adapting old schemas and/ or developing new ones to better fit what was experienced.
Used when disequilibrium

Question 6

What are the four stages of “Piagets’s cognitive development”?

Answer 6

< 2 years: Sensory motor (touch & smell)
- 7 years: Pre-operational (motor skills)
- 11 years: Concrete operational (logic)
> 11 years: Formal operational (abstract reasoning)

Question 7

What happen ins Piagets “sensory motor stage”?

Answer 7

8-12 months: Object permanence
12 months - 2 year:
- Delayed imitation
- Simple categorisation

Question 8

What is “object permanence”?

Answer 8

Learn that objects remain even when out of sight.

Question 9

What are the developmental stages of “categorisation” (in sensory motor- & pre-operational stage)

Answer 9

Sensory motor stage:
1. Perceptual
- Based on similarity in total appearance
Pre-operational:
2. Conceptual
- Based on common function or behavior

Question 10

What is “delayed play” and when does it develop?

Answer 10

Repeat an event with delay, often as pretend play.
Around 18 months into development.

Question 11

What happens in Piagets “pre-operational stage”?

Answer 11

Language
Drawings
Pretended play
Dual representation
(!) No complete logic

Question 12

What are the functions of “pretended play”?

Answer 12

1. Exercise for schemas increase cognition
2. Understanding and integration of emotions

Question 13

When is dual representation learned?

Answer 13

Year 3 of development

Question 14

What are limitations to “pre-operational thinking” according to Piaget?

Answer 14

1. Egocentrism = Unable to discriminate between own and someone else’s perspective
2. Animistic thinking
3. Conservation task

Question 15

What are the limitation to the “conservation task” in pre-operational thinking?

Answer 15

1. Perception bound
   
   • so drawn by changes in appearance.
2. Centered thinking
   
   • Focus on one aspect
3. No transformation
   
   • Focus on the now state, not on transformation
4. Irreversible

Question 16

What happens in Piagets “concrete operational stage”?

Answer 16

Conservation task
Classification & inclusion problem
Seriation (Transitive interference)
Deductive reasoning
Less egocentric

Question 17

What happens in Piagets “formal operational stage” (abstract reasoning)?

Answer 17

1. Hypothetico-deductive reasoning
   
   • Testing a hypothesis and adjust according to outcome
2. Propositional thinking
   
   • Solve a problem without real-life connection
3. Relativistic thinking
   
   • Critically reflecting on multiple perspectives and determine the most suitable answer in a situation

Question 18

What are the functions of emotions?

Answer 18

1. Cognition (learning)
2. Social behaviour (Own & influencing of others)
3. Health (influence well being & mood)

Question 19

What are the basal emotions in babies?

Answer 19

Joy, anger, sadness & fear

Question 20

How do self-recognition patterns occur?

Answer 20

18-24 months: Shame & Proudness
2-3 year: Shyness, jealousy & guilt

Question 21

What is understood by “self-referencing”?

Answer 21

Ability of an individual to decide how to behave by observing others

Question 22

What are the basal emotions in babies?

Answer 22

Joy, anger, sadness & fear

Question 23

What is the “Theory of mind”?

Answer 23

Easy stuff & recognising that someone else has feelings deviating from yours.

Question 24

Describe the development of “emotional regulation”

Answer 24

< 2 years:
2 - 4 years: Coping strategies are learned
4 - 14 years: Individual coping skills lead to self regulation

Question 25

What are the two (emotional) coping strategies?

Answer 25

1. Problem-focused coping
   
   • When a situation is viewed as changeable
2. Emotion-focused coping
   - When problem-focused coping does not work

Question 26

What does attachment style say?

Answer 26

Attachement style is predictive for Childs skills (1) but also for parents problems (2)

Question 27

What are the different attachment styles?

Answer 27

1. Safe attachment
2. Unsafe attachement
   A. Avoidant
   B. Resistant
   C. Disorganized